Set A Torch To Flame | ✔ | #1

Chapter 17-

Author's Note-

You guys know that I don't do authors notes at the beginning unless it's important. But lets just take a moment here to fan girl or whatever. OMG WHAT THE FUDGE I ACTUALLY GOT OVER 1K READS ON HERE! OMGGGGGG OMGOMGOMGOMG!

Thank you so much, guys. In celebration of me hitting the K', I'm just going to go ahead and post this next chapter, 'cause you guys rock and totally deserve this.

Also...just forgive me in advance for the end of this chapter. Please? (Read, then get mad at me.)

Owl~

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Chapter 16-

"Sophiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee..." Keefe's voice persisted. After she'd told him, he'd jumped to Havenfield and run to her room. Ridiculous. She knew he cared, but this wasn't necessary.

"Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeefe," she matched, watching him carefully. But the stubborn look on his face informed her that she might as well give in, as pretty much nothing was going to keep him from getting her to sleep.

"You know what?" Her boyfriend's serious gaze was turned on her for once. "We're doing this, whether you like it or not."

"Huh?" Sophie's mind was spinning, but by the time she'd caught on, his arms were already around her and she was in the air. "Keefe!"

He only flashed a grin at her, from right above her face. "Foster!" Cradling her head, he flopped down on the bed with her, causing Sophie to let out a small indignant squeak.

"Hey!" She complained, rolling off of him, taking one of her pillows and throwing it at him.

Unfortunately, her aim was horrible, and he was great at catching things. Keefe snatched her pillow out of the air, right as it was about to zoom past him. "Nice try, Foster." His stupid smirk appeared on his face. "Now it's my turn!"

Sophie scanned her bedroom frantically, grumbling to him, "Show off!" Seeing that he was about to hurtle it at her, she dove under her covers. When the blow she'd braced for never came, Sophie got tired of waiting. Peeking out from underneath the blanket, she was confused to see nothing. "Keefe?" No reply. Deciding that he wasn't there, she took the cover off of her head and got up looking around, when—

"AHA!" Keefe's voice was the last thing she heard before the world disappeared into pure black for a moment, and her face stung where the pillow had hit. To her credit, though, she didn't cry out.

Sophie wheeled on him instantly, grabbing the nearest soft thing she could find (which happened to be Ella, who was softish) and hitting him with it.

"Ow!" Keefe said, his hand flying to his shoulder as he looked at the stuffed animal with newfound respect in her eyes. "She's got a mean head!"

Sophie only smiled triumphantly. "Even?" She stuck out her hand.

He leaned back, sticking his hand in his back pocket. "Maybe..."

"Keefe!"

"Alright, okay, now we're even." He shook her hand.

Bzzt!

"Keefe! A buzzer, seriously?" Sophie whined. All of the hair she had was sticking up straight.

Her boyfriend was on the ground beside her, laughing like a little kid and slapping his knee. "Classic! I knew you would fall for that! Like it's not suspicious to stick your hand in your pocket before shaking someone else's." The wide grin on his face almost made up for the fact that he was laughing at her misery. Almost.

Sophie pouted, then smiled—with no good intentions. She took a button from her pocket—the one she always carried when she was in the house. Dex had installed a bunch of nets and things designed to kill people with. It was from the Neverseen days...wow, was she glad that was over. They probably still worked, since Dex was top notch.

When Keefe noticed what was in her hand, all the blood drained from his face, and he looked a bit...pale. His wide ice-blue orbs were growing bigger, and he stopped laughing altogether. "Sophie, don't."

She stood there with her foot tapping against the floor, leaning against the wall casually, button in hand and poised to hit. "What's that you say?"

Keefe sighed, grumbling to himself that she was "impossible" and "no fun at all." "Please? Pretty please with my good hair on top?"

Sophie cocked an eyebrow.

"Fine. With a...a..." his face was scrunched in concentration. "With a, um, what was it? Cherti on top?" He had a photographic memory, he knew what he was doing.

"Cherry," she muttered.

"So, pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiine," Sophie said, dragging out the word with a smile on her face. She tucked the button back on her pocket, but made no other moves.

"Help me up?" Her boyfriend finally asked meekly from the floor.

Sophie shrugged, appearing nonchalant. But in her mind, another devious plan was forming. She reached down and stretched out her hand.

He took it willingly, grabbing her hand and about to heave himself to his feet when...She dropped his hand and he slid back down onto his butt. "Ow! Foster, what was that for?"

"You know what it's fow, Keefie," Sophie commented in a baby voice. She pursed her lips. "I know you wike to have funny-wunny!" She reached out her hand again, using her normal voice. "I won't drop you again, okay?"

Keefe glanced at her warily.

"You trust me, right?"

The minutes she said that, he took her hand and pulled himself up.

Sophie's breathing hitched. They were standing face to face. She could feel his warm breath on her scalp, and she glanced up to meet his gaze. She tried to think of something to say, but her brain had gone completely blank, leaving her to stare up at him.